The San Antonio Spurs will miss Victor Wembanyama as he recovers from a left calf strain suffered in November. They’ll miss Wembanyama less if he can return, having learned from Luke Kornet.
The Athletic’s Jared Weiss urged Wembanyama to become a more timely screener on the floor as he adjusts to sets predicated on the movement of both big men from the free-throw line. Weiss sees the Kornet and De’Aaron Fox’s pick-and-roll as an important potential template for Wembanyama to emulate when he’s back on the floor.
“When Wembanyama is out there, Johnson’s offense includes a lot of Horns plays, where two bigs start the action on the free throw line. These classic sets are ideal for players whose screening draws a lot of attention, or when setting up a secondary wing creator for an angled pick-and-roll. But there’s not a lot of mystery to them, and offenses crave mystery these days. Running Horns for Wembanyama makes the Spurs’ half-court offense predictable,” Weiss wrote.
“That’s fine in the long run. The franchise is trying to develop Wembanyama into a transcendent player, and that means plenty of growing pains and a need for some structure. But now that Fox is in control of his game and able to create valuable offense with his driving ability in space, Johnson has another way to play.
“When he returns from injury, Wembanyama could take Fox and the Spurs’ offense to the next level by studying Kornet. The former Celtics big man makes smart reads on how and when to screen. He’s mastered the art of not getting in the way until it actually helps his team.”
Victor Wembanyama could rejoin team next week for Pelicans, Lakers games
Wembanyama wasn’t with the team for a 114-112 win over the Orlando Magic, but Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson revealed that his injury should happen at some point during the team’s current road trip.
San Antonio takes on the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday and the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday in the NBA Cup Quarterfinal.
“They want to travel, they want to be with the team. I think that’s been something that’s been cool about these guys for the last couple of years. They just want to be around whether they’re able to be on the court or not, and they all want to be on the court as well. And sometimes we’ve got to save them from themselves and do what we think is what’s in the best interest of themselves and for the team,” Johnson said.
Wembanyama is averaging 26.2 points on 50% shooting from the floor, 12.9 rebounds, and four assists per game during the 2025-26 season.
The Spurs have lost just two games in his absence, proving a potentially higher ceiling than expected.